St Kieran Newsletter Term 2, Week 3 - 9th May 2024
Principal's Message
May is the month of Mary. Catholics look to Mary to learn how to have faith in God and follow God in their daily lives. People learn from Mary’s example how to live as Christians and follow God. Mary is a model of faith. Mary always cooperated and trusted in God. She is an example of living and responding to God with faithfulness and love. Mary always said ‘yes’ to God. She responded with great hope and love to all God asked of her, even in times when she did not fully understand what God was asking of her.
Mary’s example of discipleship helps Catholics be people of faith, hope and love. The Rosary is one way Catholics can pray with Mary to become people of faith, hope and love. The Rosary is a special prayer which helps people think about and meditate on the life of Jesus. By praying and meditating on the rosary with Mary, people remember the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus. They remember and meditate on important events in the lives of Jesus and his mother. Catholics use rosary beads to help them pray and meditate. The beads of a rosary are used to count the prayers as they are prayed out loud or in silence.
The rosary is divided into five groups of ten beads called decades. As people pray the rosary they meditate on the events in the life of Jesus and his mother Mary. These are called mysteries. There are four sets of ‘Mysteries of the Rosary’, called Joyful, Luminous, Sorrowful, and Glorious. These four “Mysteries of the Rosary” contain, a total of twenty mysteries. The repetition of the prayers when praying the rosary helps people in this prayerful meditation. When people pray the rosary their thoughts focus on a different mystery for each decade. These mysteries represent the significant events in the life of Jesus.
In May of 2002 Pope John Paul II said, "Today we begin the month dedicated to Our Lady a favourite of popular devotion. In accord with a long-standing tradition of devotion, parishes and families continue to make the month of May a 'Marian' month, celebrating it with many devout liturgical, catechetical and pastoral initiatives!" This year we have classes that have been praying together and learning about the Rosary.
Heavenly Father, hold my mother close to your Heart
As we hold her close to mine.
Let her know today and every day How much we love her.
Lord, comfort her mind and reassure her
that her motherly care was everything we needed and wanted
And that we love her dearly.
Lord, comfort her body as she ages and grant her health and
Vitality as she goes through her days here on earth. Bring all
Good things to my precious mother, dear God, and bless her
Every day, in every way.
Amen.
Don’t forget that when it comes to motherhood, we have an ultimate role model in Mary, to whom we devote the month of May. Perhaps her courage, commitment and love might inspire you in your role as mother. To all those mothers and mother figures in our lives - Happy Mothers Day!
I hope your week has been a great one and that you all are keeping safe and well.
Best wishes and take care.
Mr Daine Burnett
Principal
daine.burnett@cewa.edu.au
Staff News
I am very pleased to announce that Ms Kathryn Climo has been successful in being appointed to a new finance position at Mercy College for the rest of 2024 that has a strong possibility of continuing in 2025. This a fantastic opportunity for Ms Climo to experience a secondary setting – congratulations! Mrs Climo starts this position on Tuesday 4th June and will be working Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday at Mercy College and then Wednesday at St Kieran for the remainder of 2024. Well done Ms Climo
We also welcome aboard Miss Teaghan Black to the staff who will be working the school administration area working in the office and also doing our social media for the reminder of 2024. Welcome aboard Miss Black.
We also welcome back Mr Jacob Peletier who will be assisting us with relief and class release time for the reminder of 2024.
School Calendar
A reminder to all families to continue to check the school calendar on our website for dates and events that are coming up during the term. We have a number of days that the school is closed this term Friday 31st May, Monday 3rd June and Friday 28th June.
Kindergarten Enrolments 2025
We are accepting Kindy Enrolment's for Kindy 2025 and this term will be conducting interviews. Please don’t leave this until the last minute as we had many families we could not accommodate in 2024. Please submit your application and make sure you have your children enrolled at St Kieran Catholic Primary School.
We do have a small number of spaces across other year levels and if friends or families are wishing to look at enrolling their children at our school.
Servite College
Just a reminder to all of our St Kieran families you must get your children's applications into Servite College nice and early. Please don’t wait until Year 5 or 6 as it will be too late. While St Kieran and Servite have a great relationship and are very close, parents still need to submit a separate enrolment application to Servite College. Please make sure you are organised nice and early with this process. If you have any questions please feel free to ask.
Uniform
We are starting to see the cooler mornings come in and over the next few weeks it will get colder as we move into winter. This is a great time to ensure that you have your child's name written on the uniform. It is very difficult to find the owners of these items we have brand new jumpers with no names on these at all.
Unwell Students
As we are well and truly in the colder months can we please ask that unwell students are not sent to school. Our staff will call parents if a child is unwell or presents unwell - we are not trained medical staff and if a child says they are unwell or looks unwell we will call the families to collect them. Sending an unwell child to school in turn has an impact on the other students as well as the staff and of course the families at St Kieran. Your consideration around this matter is appreciated.
Awareness of Special Needs at St Kieran
At St. Kieran, we believe that every child is unique and deserving of love, respect, and support. As we continue our journey toward creating an inclusive environment where all students thrive.
Over the next few weeks through our newsletter we would like to highlight and educate the different needs of students in our school and how best to support them.
This week we will look into Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
What is an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)?
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), otherwise known as Autism, is a lifelong developmental disability that affects how a person communicates with, and relates to, other people. It also affects how they make sense of the world around them. The word ‘spectrum’ is used because, while other people with Autism share certain difficulties, their condition will affect them in different ways.
Click here to watch an animated video about Autism
How Can We Support those with Autism
- Be Understanding and Patient: Understand that every individual with autism is unique and may have different needs or preferences. Be patient and supportive in your interactions.
- Practice Inclusion: Include students with autism in group activities and conversations. Encourage participation and make them feel welcome in social settings.
- Use Clear and Direct Communication: Use simple and clear language when communicating with students with autism. Avoid using slang or idiomatic expressions that may be confusing.
- Respect Personal Space and Sensory Needs: Be mindful of personal space and sensory sensitivities. Some students with autism may prefer space or have sensitivities to noise, touch, or certain textures. Respect their boundaries and preferences.
- Offer Support and Assistance: Offer your help and support when needed, but also respect their independence. Ask them how you can assist them or make them feel more comfortable.
- Educate Yourself and Others: Take the initiative to learn more about autism and educate your peers about it. Understanding and awareness can foster empathy and inclusion.
- Be Kind and Accepting: Treat students with autism with kindness, empathy, and acceptance. Celebrate their strengths and unique abilities.
- Encourage Social Interaction: Encourage social interaction in inclusive and supportive environments. Facilitate opportunities for students with autism to connect with their peers and build friendships.
- Model Inclusive Behaviour: Lead by example and demonstrate inclusive behaviour towards students with autism. Show kindness, acceptance, and respect in your interactions with everyone.
- Be a Friend: Reach out and be a friend to students with autism. Offer friendship, support, and understanding, just as you would with any other classmate.
By following these tips, our St Kieran Family can create a more inclusive and supportive environment where everyone feels valued and included, regardless of their differences.
Reconciliation Retreat
Next Wednesday, May 15, our Year 3 students will be participating in their Sacrament of Reconciliation Retreat:
When: Wednesday 15th May 2024
Where: St Catherine’s House of Hospitality (directly across from St Kieran CPS) 113 Tyler Street, Tuart Hill WA 6060
Time: Normal school hours 8.25am - 3.00pm. We will begin our day in class as usual and walk over at about 8.45am for a 9.00am start. The retreat will conclude at 2.30pm and students will return to school for their normal 3.00pm collection.
What to wear: Comfortable Free Dress, closed-in shoes
What to bring: Normal school bag, hat, water bottle
Lunch/Recess: As per usual. Bring from home or lunch order. We will be returning to the school grounds for both recess and lunch.
Hand in Hand Crossing for Inclusion
eSafety - Being an Upstander (from eSafety news)
We are seeing an increase in the posting of fight videos and the creation of fight-specific accounts on social media. These videos typically show a victim being assaulted by one person or a group of individuals.
You can help by having conversations with your child about being respectful online. If they see anything distressing online you can help them report it anonymously. Use our How to be an upstander resource as a conversation starter and equip them with the skills and confidence to make a difference.
If your child sees fight videos or distressing content online, you can report it to the platform. The eSafety Guide explains how to report complaints to common services and platforms. If the platform does not help, you can report it to eSafety.
The Premier’s Reading Challenge
‘The Premier’s Reading Challenge runs from the 6th May to the 6th September and the idea is that you try to read as many books as you can. It’s a competition right across the state and there’s some great prizes – including a Nintendo Switch. So, everyone, get on board with the Premier’s Reading Challenge for 2024. Get to your books!’ (Hon. Roger Cook MLA, Premier of Western Australia)
The Challenge!
The mission is for students in kindergarten to Year 10 to read 12 books over 4 months from 6 May to 6 September. That’s right! Just 12 books! Sounds achievable, doesn’t it?
You can choose to read any of the following:
- Books
- Short stories
- Graphic novels
- eBooks
- Talking books
- Audiobooks
- Poems
Sign up now!